WGC-HSBC Champions canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions in China

The WGC-HSBC Champions, scheduled for October 27-30 in Shanghai, has been canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions in China, the PGA Tour announced Wednesday.

The tour said the decision was made with the Chinese Golf Association. It’s the third consecutive season that the WGC-HSBC Champions have been canceled due to COVID-19 issues. Rory McIlroy He was the last winner of this event in 2019.

“We have worked with all tours, as well as the Chinese Golf Association, on the feasibility of hosting the WGC-HSBC Champions this fall, but unfortunately, the logistical implications led to the difficult decision to cancel the event,” PGA Tour Vice President, International Christian Hardy said in a statement. . “We are grateful to HSBC’s partnership during these trying times as we continue to explore the changing COVID-19 climate.”

The LPGA Tour also canceled its Shanghai-based event on Wednesday due to COVID-19 restrictions. The announcements from both rounds came as residents in parts of Shanghai and Beijing were ordered to undergo further rounds of COVID-19 testing after new cases were discovered.

Founded in 2005, the WGC-HSBC Champions is one of four tournaments in the annual World Golf Championship (WGC). She has a portfolio of $10.5 million and is considered major in Asia.

Butterfield Bermuda, scheduled for the same week, will now be played as a standalone event with full FedEx Cup points and a growing purse of $6.5 million.

Last month, the PGA Tour announced that the CJ Cup would be moved to Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina. The tournament, scheduled for October 20-23, will be renamed the CJ Cup in South Carolina.

The first three editions of the CJ Cup were played at Nine Bridges on Jeju Island, South Korea. The event has moved to Las Vegas in the past two years due to COVID-19. It was played at Shadow Creek in 2020 and at the Summit Club in 2021.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.